The Drone Center’s Weekly Roundup: 8/7/17

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At the Center for the Study of the Drone

In an interview with OpenGov, Center for the Study of the Drone co-director Arthur Holland Michel discusses the main trendlines in the ongoing evolution of drone technology.

News

A U.S. drone strike in Somalia reportedly killed a member of al-Shabab. In a statement, the U.S. Africa Command said that the strike took place in the Lower Shabelle region, an al-Shabab stronghold. (Associated Press)

The Trump administration is reviewing a drone exports policy established by the Obama administration. According to an official who spoke to DefenseNews, the review is part of a broader effort to find “smarter new approaches to U.S. defense trade policy.” The Obama administration placed controls on drone technology exports to U.S. allies in 2015.

A small tethered drone will help the U.S. Secret Service provide perimeter security during President Trump’s visit to the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey this month. In an announcement, the agency said that the test is part of an initiative to explore new technologies for security operations. (Reuters)

Citing cyber vulnerabilities, the U.S. Army has instructed its units to discontinue the use of all drones made by DJI, the popular Chinese manufacturer. The decision appears to have been based on a classified study and a Navy memo on security issues in DJI products. (Reuters)

Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and Zurich University of the Arts have developed a hexacopter with independently rotating propellers that is capable of flying in far more acrobatic ways than traditional multirotor drones. (Yanko Design)

A team at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation is developing an app-based management system for large military drones. (IHS Jane’s International Defence Review)

Following a 10-month definition process, the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation has decided that its European Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance drone will have a twin turboprop design. (IHS Jane’s International Defence Review)

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating an incident in which a drone was spotted near a runway at Newark International Airport. (USA Today)

China’s People’s Liberation Army confirmed that it is now operating the CH-901, a loitering munition drone. (Popular Science) For more on loitering munitions, click here.

The Duluth Fire Department in Minnesota is testing EMILY, an unmanned surface vehicle designed for saving stranded swimmers, with an eye to possibly acquiring the system to use on Lake Superior. (Grand Forks Herald)

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI) introduced a bill that makes it illegal to fly drones near airports without permission. (The Hill)

The Fort Wayne Police Department in Indiana has acquired two drones for a range of operations, including emergency response and environmental surveys. (News Sentinel)

Kentucky governor Matt Bevin has accused a local news channel of invading his privacy after it flew a drone over his private property. (CNET)